Afuh Didachos Mbeng, Department of Official Languages and Translation, University of EbolowaInternational Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, RSIS International, vol. 10(3), pages 8159-8167, March 2026This article discusses female education and punishment in Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre and Buchi Emecheta's Second-Class Citizen, and considers the novelists as writers who do not only advocate for the education and empowerment of the woman, particularly the girl child but also shed light on the societal punishments and limitations imposed on them. In other words, the article shows that both authors emphasize the significance of education in empowering girls and promoting personal growth while critiquing societal restrictions and punishments that girls who desire education face. To both novelists, limited access to education for the girl child, patriarchal oppression and social stigma which characterize(d) Victorian and the post independent African societies serve as containments that attempt to suppress potentially subversive feminist narratives. Using new historicist approach, and drawing from Michel Foucault's Discipline and Punishent, and his observations on the nature and purpose of punishment to show both novelists' destabilization of class and gender hierarchies, the work offers insights into the contentious relationship between British fin de siècle and postcolonial African societies on the one hand, and the education of the girl child on the other hand, thereby questioning the authenticity and representation of society as a disciplinary unit, leading to the conclusion that Brontë and Emeheta harbor a social and cultural agenda with focus on female education.
Doppeltes Übersetzen. Charlotte Birch-Pfeiffers Theaterstück ›Die Waise aus Lowood‹ (1853) und Charlotte Brontës Roman ›Jane Eyre‹ (1847) (Double Translation. Charlotte Birch-Pfeiffer's Play 'The Orphan of Lowood' (1853) and Charlotte Brontë's Novel 'Jane Eyre' (1847))
Broterwerb, Alltagsgeschäft, künstlerische Praxis: Studien zu Übersetzerinnen aus der Sammlung Varnhagen (Breadwinning, Daily Business, Artistic Practice: Studies on Women Translators from the Varnhagen Collection)Edited by Jadwiga Kita-Huber and Frederike MiddelhoffBrill VerlagISBN 978-3-7705-7089-8September 2026
Der Band widmet sich bislang unerschlossenen oder kaum erforschten Übersetzungen von Frauen, die mit einem der größten Handschriftenarchive Europas – der in Krakau (Jagiellonen-Bibliothek) aufbewahrten Sammlung Varnhagen – in Verbindung stehen. Für Akteurinnen wie Rosa Maria Assing, Sarah Austin, Helmina von Chézy, Caroline de Crespigny, Ottilie von Goethe oder Henriette Schubart bedeutete das Übersetzen nicht allein eine finanzielle Einnahmequelle. Vielmehr war es im Spannungsfeld von künstlerischem Selbstausdruck, dem Verlangen zur Mitgestaltung ästhetischer Geschmacksbildung und alltäglichen Formen schriftlicher, oftmals mehrsprachiger Kommunikation verortet. Die Beiträge nehmen die Schriften der Übersetzerinnen und ihre aus der Sammlung Varnhagen ersichtliche Vernetzung zum Anlass, die vielfältigen Praktiken des Übersetzens zu differenzieren und sowohl die ästhetischen Strategien als auch die kulturpolitischen Maximen der Übersetzerinnen zu ermitteln.
Readme isn’t the first dating app for book lovers, but its release comes at a time when the fetish for literary culture and all things bookish has reached a fever pitch. Celebrities like Solange Knowles, Kaia Gerber and Dua Lipa herself have started virtual book clubs and libraries. Film adaptations of literary classics like “Wuthering Heights” and “The Odyssey” are some of the biggest talkers of the year. One New York City bookseller, McNally Jackson, hosts sexy singles events, while another sends its regulars out into the streets in branded caps that simply say “Books” on the front. (Gina Cherelus)
There was a "living jukebox" in Royal Avenue, a wrestling corner at Grand Central Station and Kate Bush fans got the chance to strut their stuff at nearby Saltwater Square for a "Wuthering Heights extravaganza".Carrie Davenport/Culture Night Belfast A number of people playing violins at Culture Night Belfast in 2025. There is a woman at the front with long brown hair and a dark blouse, playing a violin.Carrie Davenport/Culture Night BelfastCulture Night Belfast returned last year after a four-year hiatusThe Kitsch Sisters, who seek to empower women through "creativity, connection and community" hosted "Cathy's Call" which they described as a "flashmob, immersive dance"."When people turn up, they must be wearing red, it is essential," Aoife McAteer told BBC Radio Ulster's the Ticket."You don't have to be a dancer, you don't have to have any rhythm, you don't have to come with a big group of people, just arrive."Arrive dressed in red, at seven o'clock [in the evening] and we have a choreographer there called Lauren, who is going to take everybody through the steps." (Ross McKee)
A proper little library light, designed to perch on shelves, mantelpieces, and bookcases, wherever a cord would only get in the way. The Bronte clips neatly into place and brings a warm pool of light exactly where it’s needed - whether that's illuminating your latest read or simply making your shelves look considerably more inviting. Available in natural whitewash, bronze, silvery black, brass, and turquoise, each version has its own personality, but all share the same handsome ribbed detailing and wonderfully practical clamp fitting. Cordless, portable, and endlessly useful, it’s the sort of light that quickly finds itself being moved from shelf to shelf as you discover yet another perfect spot for it.
Heathcliff and Catherine’s doomed romance has always carried more than a hint of the macabre, but Wuthering Heights: The House of the Damned is taking that darkness much further. The new British horror reworking of Emily Brontë’s classic novel transforms Catherine into a vengeful ghost and Heathcliff into a man prepared to kill in order to bring her back.Directed by Rebecca J Matthews, the film will be released to own next month through Signature Entertainment, offering a supernatural reinterpretation of one of literature’s most famously destructive relationships.The story begins after Catherine’s death, with her spirit haunting the halls of Wuthering Heights and terrorising those who remain there. Heathcliff, consumed by grief and obsession, becomes convinced that her continued presence depends on bloodshed and begins carrying out sacrifices in the hope that Catherine might eventually possess a living body.That arrangement is disrupted by the arrival of Mr Lockwood, a new tenant at a neighbouring property whose curiosity draws him into the increasingly dangerous affairs of the house. As his health deteriorates and his grip on reality begins to falter, Lockwood encounters Catherine’s tortured apparition while gradually discovering just how far Heathcliff is willing to go.Liana Failla wrote the screenplay, drawing on Brontë’s 1847 novel while pushing the material firmly into supernatural horror. Rather than treating Catherine’s presence as an ambiguous gothic element, the film makes her ghost central to the action, with Heathcliff’s grief transformed into a murderous devotion.Filming took place in Brechin, Scotland, giving the production a suitably remote backdrop for its reimagining of the isolated Yorkshire estate.The project joins a long line of screen adaptations inspired by Wuthering Heights, although its emphasis on possession, sacrifice and explicitly supernatural violence takes the material in a markedly different direction from the more traditional romantic and period-drama interpretations. The House of the Damned recasts Catherine and Heathcliff’s relationship as something much more dangerous, turning romantic obsession into the engine for a full gothic horror story. (Emily Bennett)
In which case, you really have to applaud whoever came up with the idea of Wuthering Heights: The House of the Damned. Available on digital platforms in three short weeks (on 19 October in fact), it is a remake of Emily Brontë’s classic novel, only scarier. In the film, as far as I am able to tell, Cathy has died and her ghost starts haunting Heathcliff to the point that he starts murdering everyone. Is it any good? All signs point to not really, especially since the trailer contains a shot where Cathy seems to become a zombie so that she can punch through a window and strangle someone to death. But will I watch it? Oh God, try to stop me.You can see what’s happening here, can’t you? Emerald Fennell made a Wuthering Heights film this year and it was wildly successful, currently the 19th biggest film of 2026. But Wuthering Heights was published 179 years ago, so anyone can do whatever they want with it. Fennell’s film proved this all too well, with its rubbing and squishing and skin-coloured rooms. But it also means that someone else can hop on the back of it and turn it into a hammy horror about a zombie in a bridal gown. It’s not like the Brontës are around to sue, is it? (Stuart Heritage)
Rain came in with the wind and I got absolutely drenched on the final approach to Haworth. But soon after, I was entering Bradford’s prettiest township and thinking about coffee and cake. The walk officially ends at Penistone Hill country park, but after taking walking therapy a few years ago, I am no longer a completist – and was satisfied with my walk and mini achievement. I bowed out on Haworth high street, without so much as a glance at the Brontë Parsonage Museum. (Chris Moss)
Cobbled streets, vintage shops, pubs with roaring fires all surrounded by rolling countryside hills – you’ll find it all in this Yorkshire village.There’s no better time to visit than autumn, as the whole village gets a seasonal overhaul with huge shop displays and twinkling lights for the dark evenings.The West Yorkshire village called Haworth has absolutely everything associated with autumn from cobbled streets to charming cottages and cosy cafes. [...]The town has literature connections too as it was home of the Brontë sisters, who between them wrote books like Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre.Yorkshire.com explained: “Home of the famous Brontë sisters, Haworth is an undisputed literary mecca, attracting visitors from all around the world." (Alice Penwill)
From the Brontës' Haworth to Jane Austen's Bath, Wordsworth's Lake District and Thomas Hardy's Dorset, literary places continue to exert a powerful hold over readers.Literary tourism appears to be enjoying renewed popularity, from visits inspired by classic novels to the TikTok trend of turning books into travel itineraries. But what exactly are literary tourists hoping to find when they get there? The answer is more complicated than it might seem.Haworth, Bath and Dorset all exist, obviously. They can be found on a map and visited. But the Brontë moors, Austen's Bath, Wordsworth's Lakes and Hardy's Wessex are also literary reimaginings of those places. They may never have existed in quite the form readers imagine.Our fascination with literary places has a long history. Literary geography, which combines physical geography with literary studies, emerged in the late 19th century as the novel grew in popularity and, in many ways, developed alongside literary tourism.In 1899, William Lyon Phelps created his Literary Map of England, marking locations associated with authors and literary works. A few years later, William Sharp's Literary Geography (1904) mapped regions such as "Dickens land," "the Brontë country" and the literary geography of the English lakes.These early literary maps invited readers to see where fictional and geographical worlds appeared to overlap. More than a century later, readers are still seeking those points of intersection. [...]When visitors reach Haworth, Grasmere or Dorset, they are not encountering those places for the first time. They have already visited them in their imagination. Their version of the landscape has been assembled from books, films, photographs, places they have visited and other cultural references. When they arrive, they compare the physical location with that imagined one. [...]At Haworth, visitors move through domestic spaces associated with the Brontë family while simultaneously encountering the imaginative worlds of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights.The Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth derives much of its power from bringing biography, landscape, family tragedy and fiction together in one place. [...]From the earliest maps of Dickens land and Brontë country to today’s literary pilgrimages, the goal has remained remarkably consistent: to find the point at which real and fictional worlds collide. Literary geography suggests that this point may never quite be reachable. Perhaps that is precisely why readers keep looking for it. (Rebecca Hutcheon)
There was a time when putting Jane Eyre on a school reading list would have been regarded as a fairly ordinary educational decision. A teacher might have thought that young readers could benefit from encountering a spirited orphan, a brooding gentleman, a Gothic mansion and a complex moral journey. CNN, however, has discovered that the matter may be considerably more sinister. The appearance of Charlotte Brontë's novel on a Chinese reading list, it suggests, is evidence of something called ideology.This is an impressive burden to place on a book. A novel that has survived Victorian moralists, modern feminists, postcolonial critics, film directors, television producers and generations of adolescent readers must now also survive the investigative imagination of cable news.According to CNN, the Chinese authorities see Jane Eyre as a corrective to the superficial romantic fantasies of the social-media age. That interpretation is not especially difficult to understand. The novel does, after all, present a young woman who values dignity, independence and moral self-respect more than money or social position. Jane refuses to become Rochester's mistress even though she loves him. She rejects St John's proposal because it offers duty without affection. Her famous declaration — "I care for myself" — is hardly a ringing endorsement of passive obedience.Yet CNN appears determined to treat the inclusion of an extracurricular classic as a coded ideological communique. One begins to wonder whether every alteration to a school reading list must now be examined for signs of a change in the authority's philosophical weather. If a book is added, it is a signal. If a book is removed, it is another signal. If a book remains where it was, perhaps that is the most ominous signal of all.There is, of course, a legitimate discussion to be had about Jane Eyre. The novel was published in London in 1847, and its treatment of Bertha Mason, the "mad woman in the attic", has rightly attracted criticism. Its depiction of colonialism, race and imperial wealth deserves scrutiny. Rochester's conduct, too, may strike contemporary readers as less than an ideal model of romantic behaviour. But literary criticism requires a modest acquaintance with history. Brontë was writing in the nineteenth century, not drafting a relationship guide for the year 2026. To read an old novel critically is sensible; to demand that it conform entirely to present-day moral vocabulary is to confuse literature with an updated terms-of-service agreement.A classic's value does not depend on its being ideologically spotless. Jane Eyre has generated a vast critical literature, inspired countless adaptations for stage and screen, and remained influential across cultures for nearly two centuries. Its endurance is not proof that every idea in it is beyond question. It is proof that the novel contains enough artistic power, psychological complexity and unresolved contradiction to keep readers arguing. [...]A reading list is usually a reading list. Sometimes a book is chosen because it is good, sometimes because it is available, and occasionally because someone has actually read it. That last possibility may be less dramatic than ideological intrigue, but it is probably worth considering. (Li Yang)
In the fall semester of 2026, the British literary classic Jane Eyre was included in the ninth-grade Chinese language curriculum as part of the "whole-book reading" list. CNN reported on the news, but described China's textbooks as being "tightly curated by the state," claiming that the inclusion of such a British romantic classic was "surprising."But what is so "surprising" about Jane Eyre being included in Chinese middle school curriculum?Thornfield Hall, Rochester, the secret in the attic, and Jane Eyre herself - a petite woman of plain appearance who refuses to yield to fate - have long been part of the shared literary memory of generations of Chinese readers. As early as 1917, "A Sketch of Western Women Novelists" published in Women's Magazine, a magazine founded in Shanghai in 1915, introduced Charlotte Brontë and Jane Eyre. In July 1925, Zhou Shoujuan's translation Chong Guang Ji is believed to be the earliest Chinese translation of the novel. In 1979, the film Jane Eyre was released in China. In 1980, the Shanghai Translation Publishing House published Zhu Qingying's translation, with an initial print run of about 270,000 copies.How could it be "surprising" that a work read in China for over a century - given its immense popularity - has become part of the required reading list for Chinese students? Is it that CNN's understanding of China is too outdated, or that it simply refuses to take off its colored glasses?The Chinese Ministry of Education has clearly stated that Chinese language textbooks include "a wide range of classical and contemporary works from both China and abroad." Many foreign literary classics such as Resurrection, One Hundred Years of Solitude, Hamlet, and To the Skylark have already been included in Chinese language textbooks. CNN's reporters may not even be aware that former US president Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address has also been included in the People's Education Press high school elective curriculum.What is even more puzzling is that in its report, CNN specifically interviewed several Chinese parents and scholars who opposed the inclusion of Jane Eyre, citing concerns that the book might "teach girls in class that their brain should being wrongly ruled by love." While questioning whether it helps adolescents develop "healthy values," it made no mention of the broad public appreciation for the novel in China. When quoting coverage from the Beijing Daily, CNN also selectively omitted student reflections from a Jane Eyre reading session - insights that touched on core themes of love, respect, growth, and emotional resonance with remarkable precision.Great literature transcends language, nationality, and time. The enduring resonance of Jane Eyre among Chinese readers is a testament to the success of cultural exchange between China and the world. The CNN report, which repeatedly emphasized "surprise," does not appear to be an attempt to challenge stereotypes about China, but rather to reinforce them under a different guise.
Part III is the most original in the book. Entitled “The Unlucky Book” (1855-60), its chapters chart the story of Elizabeth’s research for The Life of Charlotte Brontë and the several libel cases that followed its too hasty publication. Vivid vignettes abound, as when Elizabeth and Catherine Winkworth travel to Haworth by train to find the parsonage still deep in mourning and both clergymen breaking down in tears, and when the biographer enlists the help of her daughters and some of her many visitors in copying Brontë letters. Her rash comments on Lydia Robinson, Branwell Brontë’s femme fatale (literally), and Cowan Bridge School got her into even more trouble than had Mary Barton and Ruth. Changes were made in a later edition, and Elizabeth swore never to write another biography.Religion shaped these writers’ lives but is ignored here. The book contains many typos and is printed on inferior paper. Nevertheless, it remains a page-turner. (Dr Michael Wheeler)
Located in Thornton, Bradford, the birthplace of the famous literary family welcomed more than 100 visitors during a special open day held on Sunday, September 13, as part of a scheme of free heritage open days.The exhibition, titled From Butcher's Shop to Birthplace: The Story of the Brontë Birthplace, focused on the building’s transformation after the Brontë family left Thornton.Thomas Haigh, vice chair of the Brontë Birthplace, said: "Visitors loved the exhibition, and it was really nice to see the Brontë Birthplace attracting new audiences who aren't necessarily Brontë fans."One visitor said the exhibition was so informative, and it was a wonderful experience to learn about the butcher’s shop as well as the Brontës history."The building is so iconic because it is the birthplace of the famous Brontë authors."The Brontës lived in Thornton for five years before moving to Haworth.The exhibition traced the building’s later life, including its time as a butcher’s shop run by Reg Lovette for more than 40 years.Mr Haigh said the highlight of the day was their VIP guests Barbara, the daughter of Mr Lovette and her husband Alan."Barbara was there throughout the day sharing more memories and greeting visitors as they came to learn more about one of Thornton's Master Butchers." (Amelia Short)
Fri 18 Sept, 5:00pmResearch Library, Brontë Parsonage Museum180 years ago, the first publication by the “Bells” appeared: an obscure volume of poems which sold only two copies. Eighteen months later, Jane Eyre would become a bestseller.This Parsonage Unwrapped will be delivered by author, teacher and Museum volunteer Tamar Yellin and Principal Curator Ann Dinsdale. They will be exploring the history of Poems by Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell through Museum objects and artefacts related to the publication.Join us from 5pm for a complimentary drink. The event will then start at 5:30pm.
Bonnie Greer was a joiner. She was on the board of everything, from the Women’s prize for fiction to the British Museum, she was president of the Brontë society – she got stuck in. (Zoe Williams)
Role in the Brontë SocietyA lifelong admirer of literature, Greer brought a fresh perspective to the organisation, which is dedicated to preserving the legacy of sisters Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë and operates the famous Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth.During her presidency, Greer championed efforts to broaden the appeal of the Brontës’ work and attract more diverse audiences.She argued that the Brontës belonged to the world rather than a narrow literary elite and wanted the society to connect with younger people and communities across Yorkshire, including Bradford’s large and varied population.After several months of internal disagreements, she resigned as president in June 2015. (Amelia Short)
When teenagers went back to school in China earlier this month, one book on their new mandatory reading list stood out: the 19th century English novel “Jane Eyre.”The literary classic, originally considered a trailblazing tale of female empowerment, might seem a surprising choice in a country where textbooks are tightly curated by the state to ensure ideological conformity.But Beijing sees another message in Charlotte Brontë’s work –– the value of finding true love.The story presents a counterbalance to the “superficial notions about appearance and wealth” of the social media age, according to the state-run Beijing Daily newspaper.In recent years, online novels and micro dramas featuring outlandish plots of wealth flaunting, wronged lovers, brooding billionaires and ill-fated mistresses plotting revenge have become mainstream entertainment. And that’s attracted the attention of China’s censors.In June, the broadcasting regulator launched a campaign to crack down on “harmful and lowbrow” content seen as promoting “distorted” views on relationships and marriage.But reading the story of Jane Eyre –– an orphan girl who finds her independence while suffering a series of hardships and eventually falls in love with her wealthy employer –– will help China’s 14-year-olds “develop sounder values,” said Beijing Daily.“When children are first beginning to experience romantic feelings and are still naive and inexperienced, it is a crucial stage for developing a healthy character,” it said.The coming-of-age story has been wildly popular in China since it first arrived in the country in 1925 and has been translated, published and adapted into theatre and screen productions countless times. A British film even made its way to Chinese theatres in 1979, following the country’s turbulent Cultural Revolution.Jane Eyre –– who famously says to her future husband “do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong” –– has long been seen as an anti-repression heroine by the working class in China. And the book has long been accepted by China’s ruling communist party.But its inclusion in the curriculum is striking at a time when other forms of feminist discussion and activism have increasingly come under scrutiny in China.And some parents have questioned whether modern day Chinese youths who have been raised in a relatively comfortable environment, could understand or relate to the deep and complicated love story portrayed in the novel.One parent said that her son had asked whether reading Jane Eyre was “teaching girls in (his) class that their brain should being wrongly ruled by love.”The parent, writing on social media platform Xiaohongshu, said that her son couldn’t understand why Jane chooses to marry a man who was blind, and the whole thing looked like a bad deal.Qin Shiwen, a recent Chinese literature graduate in Beijing told CNN that including a classic like Jane Eyre into primary education “is very necessary.”“China’s basic education system places a heavy emphasis on academic knowledge and high achievement, but very, very little focus on love or character development,” said Shiwen.But the book, first published in 1847, has in recent years been criticized for its treatment of a character Brontë often describes as a ‘mad woman.”“The more I think about it, the more problematic I find it,” said Yan Hairong, a sociology scholar at Beijing’s Tsinghua University, pointing to the portrayal of the “mad woman in the attic” and the book’s “underlying themes of colonialism.”Yan has doubts whether the novel will help Chinese teenagers build up healthy values, saying some students may just absorb it “without critically examining the problematic ideas embedded within it.”“I have some concerns about teaching the novel at the middle-school level, particularly if it is presented as a textbook or as an example of profound romantic love,” Yan told CNN. (Sylvie Zhuang)
Beijing, however, sees a message about the importance of true love in the novel. According to the state-run Beijing Daily newspaper, the book offers a counterbalance to the “superficial notions about appearance and wealth” that have become widespread in the social media age.In recent years, online novels and short dramas featuring plots about flaunting wealth, unrequited love, billionaires and revenge have become popular entertainment. In June, China’s regulator launched a campaign against “harmful and lowbrow” content, including material portraying “distorted” views of marriage and relationships.According to Beijing Daily, the story of Jane Eyre – an orphan who goes through a series of hardships, asserts her independence and falls in love with her wealthy employer – could help 14-year-old students develop “sounder values.”“When children are first beginning to experience romantic feelings and are still naive and inexperienced, it is a crucial stage for developing a healthy character,” the publication said.The novel has been popular in China since 1925 and has been translated, published and adapted for the stage and screen many times. Jane Eyre has long been seen in the country as a heroine who stands against oppression, and the novel has also been accepted by China’s ruling Communist Party. Its inclusion in the curriculum, however, comes at a time when feminist debate and activism in China have come under increased scrutiny.
a windswept soundtrack that more or less saved the otherwise dreadful Wuthering Heights (Adrian Horton)
Quick lightning round! Tell us:The [book] that made you want to become an author: Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë (Elise Dumpleton)
like a cross between Jane Eyre and an especially nasty slasher movie. (Luc Haasbroek)
One of the reasons that I accepted the Presidency is not only because I love the work of the Brontës, but because both the members and the Council have been welcoming and supportive. And because of Yorkshire - the people and the region. (Brontë Parsonage Blog, November 2014)
Her particular interest was Emily Brontë and Wuthering Heights. At the 2011 Ilkley Literature Festival, she discussed Emily's language and its musical quality, as well as Heathcliff, race and abolitionism. In 2012, during a Brontë Society Annual weekend, Greer participated in a discussion of Wuthering Heights (A Regular Black: The Hidden Wuthering Heights, with Terry Eagleton and Caryl Phillips) and revealed that she was writing a screenplay based on the speculation that Emily Brontë had met Frederick Douglass in Leeds in 18471.
The connection between Emily Brontë and Douglass remained important to Greer. In 2015, in a Brussels Brontë Group weekend talk, she was still discussing possible Brontë links with the abolitionist, while also working to make the Brontës more accessible to younger and more diverse audiences. Also in 2015 she led, with Judith Watts, a Jane Eyre fan-fiction workshop at The Trouble Club in London.
According to witnesses, the meeting saw Bonnie Greer, the writer and President of the Society, keep order using her Jimmy Choo heel on the top table, as critics from both sides waiting to hear how the Brontë name should best be preserved. (The Telegraph, June 2015)
Greer said she took a high-heeled shoe to Saturday's meeting as a light-hearted prop to use to keep order."I brought my shoe because it's been, for some of us, so grim, that I thought, I'm going to make this funny," she told BBC Radio 4's The World At One."So I brought out the shoe, made for me by Jimmy Choo himself, and said, 'I'm going to bang this if it gets out of control'." (BBC News, June 2015)
Her association with the Brontës nevertheless continued. In 2018 she participated in a Liverpool panel discussion connected with Lily Cole's short film Balls, an Emily Brontë bicentenary project inspired partly by Wuthering Heights.
There was also a Brontë connection in Greer's own creative writing. Her 2021 play Douglass, commissioned by The Faction and performed by Jude Owusu, explored the life and inner world of Frederick Douglass. A contemporary review noted that Greer's text incorporated quotations from Shakespeare, Emily Brontë and Douglass himself.
1. Something that was explored a bit later by Deborah Denenholz Morse in "The House of Trauma": The Influence of Frederick Douglass on Heathcliff in Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights, Victorians: A Journal of Culture and Literature, Number 140, Winter 2021, pp. 164-177. ↩Southwark Playhouse has posted a trailer for its production of Jane Eyre, offering a first glimpse of the musical currently running at Southwark Playhouse Elephant. The clip previews the atmosphere of the staging, which brings Charlotte Brontë's novel to the stage through what the theatre describes as a lush and sweeping score. [...]The staging marks the UK premiere of the musical, running at Southwark Playhouse Elephant through 24 October. The trailer was shot by videographer Adam Nightingale. (Michael Major)
The show by Sarah Gordon, which premiered in 2024 at The National Theatre London, will be performed at Theatre@41 on Monkgate from the 13th to the 17th October. It tells the story of the rivalry between the Brontë sisters from Charlotte’s perspective, and reveals some truths behind why we only know Anne as the ‘third sister’, or the Other Other Brontë.Director Claire Morley, who last directed for YSCP in 2014 with Brecht’s Drums in the Night says:“Directing Underdog really appealed to me because whilst it tells the story of this incredible literary family who are so entwined in the national (and Yorkshire!) cultural fabric, it doesn’t put them on a pedestal. We see them as flawed human beings. The dialogue and stagecraft is also very contemporary, which I love. I am looking forward to reflecting that further in aspects like the soundtrack. Expect current chart hits rather than choral music!”Lara Stafford (last seen as the title character in Anne Boleyn with Black Treacle Theatre at Theatre@41), YSCP regular Jess Murray, and University of York MA Theatre-Making student Millie Rhodes lead the cast as Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë. They are joined by a multi-rolling ensemble made up of local actors Nick Patrick Jones, Jon Cook, Maggie Smales, and Pamela Gourley.“We’re so thrilled to bring this very Yorkshire literary play to Theatre@41 this October,” says YSCP Chair, Natalie Roe, “We went on a cast and crew trip to the Brontë Parsonage in Haworth, which helped everyone get into the world of the play. There’s such a great energy in the team already, we can’t wait to share Underdog with you.”
Ce livre d'une journaliste et chroniqueuse déjà connue du prix Goncourt se dessine comme un des favoris du concours. [...]Il s'appelle Je, mais ce n'est pas une autobiographie. Même si on ne connait pas la vie personnelle de l'autrice, il ne peut pas s'agir de cela car le roman se passe en 1831. On lit : "Île de la Jamaïque, 1831. Antoinette Cosway, créole de bonne famille, s'éprend d'Edward Rochester, un Anglais aussi impénétrable que fascinant. Mais à la séduction enflammée succèdent rapidement des scènes vénéneuses, où les baisers sont des blessures, où toute une société livre la jeune femme à son bourreau.Des années plus tard, Antoinette tente de conquérir sa propre histoire. "JE" se situe à mi-chemin entre roman victorien et thriller intimiste contemporain. Lilia Hassaine s'est inspirée du personnage de la première femme de Rochester dans Jane Eyre, le roman culte de Charlotte Brontë. Elle a choisi de lui donner une voix, un corps, une destinée." [...]Avec déjà une sélection par le passé, Lilia Hassaine devient déjà une habituée de ce concours. Cela pourrait l'avantager. Avec toutes les autres distinctions que le livre a déjà, il a vraiment ses chances. Enfin, la référence à un classique de la littérature peut aussi l'avantager. Outre cela, il n'est pas pour autant premier des ventes. Pour l'instant, C'était ça ou mourir D'Orélien Thélyson est numéro un des ventes, considéré comme le phénomène littéraire de l'année, il s'apparente comme le favori qui au final perd. Alors que "Je" est dixième du classement Datalib.En tout cas, les lecteurs semblent adorer. Babelio lui donne la belle note de 4,25/5. On peut lire entre autres : Livre de la rentrée littéraire 2026 et ce fut un coup de cœur ! Un livre magnifique, une plume efficace, un récit captivant. (…) Le roman met en lumière une autre vision de cette femme, victime de son temps, du patriarcat, de son époux, et des machinations l'ayant conduite à être enfermée et considérée comme "folle". Je ne pouvais pas lâcher ce livre." (Paul Mocka) (Translation)
HaworthA town near Bradford, Haworth is surrounded by stunning autumn walking trails. Whether you want to see the Brontë Waterfall or just the town itsel, the Victorian style of the town never fails to give off a great autumnal feel. (Sebastian McCormick)
JD+Kate IndustriesHave you read the novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte? No? Well, that’s fine, because the Mr. Rochester-Scented Candle will tell you everything you need to know:The book has a character named Mr. Rochester. He’s the dashing love interest who locks his wife in an attic.It has a protagonist named Jane Eyre. She’s the governess who starts to fall for her boss, Mr. Rochester. Do you think the wife-locked-in-attic thing will turn out to be a dealbreaker for her? (Here’s a hint: No it will not.)Mr. Rochester smells like cigar smoke. Mr. Rochester smokes a cigar, so Jane can always smell him coming. And since this candle smells like cherry tobacco, YOUR governess will always smell YOU coming, as you wander the halls pensively, late at night, holding a novelty candle.Mr. Rochester’s palatial estate, Thornfield, ends up getting burned down, leaving only smoking ruins. Sometimes when you lock your wife in the attic and propose to the governess, your house gets burned down. Actions have consequences!
With a recently released trailer for Wuthering Heights: House of the Damned, director Becca Hirani (the Elevator) posits a different spin on the story, one that is leaning into gothic horror in three key ways, setting it on track to embrace the spirit of the novel, rather than distort it.3. Cathy’s Ghost Has Agency in This Version of Wuthering HeightsWhen Mr. Lockwood, a new tenant of Thrushcross Grange, arrives at Wuthering Heights, he soon finds etchings under a windowsill. The etchings spell out the name Catherine Earnshaw and then Catherine Linton. While investigating, Mr. Lockwood comes face to face with a ghost who breaks through the window pane, slamming him against the wall by gripping his throat.The ghost of Cathy is absent from Fennell’s adaptation along with many that came before it, but is present in the trailer for Wuthering Heights: House of the Damned. The element is distinctively horror, especially in the way Hirani uses it. Here, the ghost is not passive or something belonging in the house, but rather a spirit acting against Mr. Lockwood.It amps up the danger Mr. Lockwood is in, a danger that was previously relegated to the characters still alive. Audiences know to be wary of Mr. Heathcliff, but it is an adaptational twist to give Cathy back this capacity for violence from beyond the grave.In the novel, Brontë leaves Cathy’s ghost ambiguous. The presence is felt through knocking and a repeated cry heard through the window, along with rumors spread about town, but it isn’t something that’s able to harm Mr. Lockwood in the way Hirani’s does.2. Violence that Can’t be Romanticized in House of the DamnedHirani’s Wuthering Heights from the get go is off to a better start with the inclusion of Cathy’s brother Hindley. Fennell’s adaptation erased the character completely, choosing to give his abusive traits to Cathy’s father. But with Hindley in the narrative — as long as he isn’t suddenly the perfect brother — the violence in the film is no longer solely romantic. The visual symbols of violence in Hirani’s Wuthering Heights: House of the Damned are not a noose or handcuffs trying to erotic but rather smashed glass, a sharp knife, and bloody eyes.The romance of Cathy and Heathcliff is present but it is framed completely differently. No longer the greatest love story ever told, it is now “the most harrowing romance of all time”. The film’s synopsis paints Heathcliff as obsessed in the wake of Cathy’s death and from her influence “turning murderous on all who dwell there.” It’s a shift from Heathcliff’s revenge plot in the book, inflicted there on the resulting children of the Earnshaw and Linton families. Instead, it is more immediate. Heathcliff, with the aid of Cathy’s ghost, is likely going after those who currently dwell in the house rather than a future generation.1. Wuthering Heights as Haunted House NarrativeAt its core, Wuthering Heights is a story of a haunted house, and Hirani’s visuals reflect this. The house looks unassuming from the outside, but inside, every room is cast in shadow. The characters have to resort to candlelight and even then, much is still obscured from view.The frame narrator Mr. Lockwood isn’t supposed to be there. He’s renting out the sister property Thrushcross Grange, depicted as lighter and a pleasant place to live, but his own niceties have brought him to Wuthering Heights, wanting to know his neighbors. It is Mr. Lockwood then who should be most primed to escape. Yet, as the trailer shows him painfully looking in the mirror as his reflection is replaced with Cathy’s, not even him can do that. He is stuck at Wuthering Heights, much like the Earnshaws.With the emphasis placed on Cathy’s ghost, it raises the question if Wuthering Heights will be depicted as haunted prior to Cathy’s death. As mentioned before, the exterior shot of the estate looks rather normal. There are no overgrown branches or broken windows, but rather it is the inside and Cathy’s influence there that places it as haunted. The violence may have existed before her death but the physical markers don’t appear until after it. (Archie Wagner)
“Dying for You,” from Charli’s Wuthering Heights soundtrack released earlier this year, was a much-appreciated “Oh right, this song” selection from a set that already feels historically underappreciated. (Andrew Unterberger)
André AcimanTranslated by Julia Osuna AguilarEdiciones AlfaguaraSeptember 2026En estas cuatro novelas cortas, André Aciman explora las incertidumbres, los deseos y los equívocos del amor. En «El caballero del Perú», unos amigos conocen en un hotel de la costa amalfitana a un misterioso huésped cuya presencia lo cambia todo. «Habitación frente al mar» narra el diálogo entre dos desconocidos que se encuentran en un juicio y comienzan una relación ambigua. «Mariana» reimagina un célebre relato del siglo XVII sobre la pasión entre una monja y un aristócrata inconstante. En «Polizones», un correo inesperado revela a Julian la existencia de una vida y un amor secretos que ignoraba por completo.Sutil, melancólico y profundamente conmovedor, Idilio ilumina ese espacio incierto donde conviven el amor, el recuerdo y la esperanza. Una celebración de los encuentros que nos transforman y de las emociones que persisten mucho después de que todo haya terminado.
Un abogado, una psicóloga y una larga espera para saber si son elegidos para formar parte de un jurado popular. No se conocen de nada, pero un ejemplar de 'Cumbres borrascosas' les sirve para romper el hielo. Comienzan a hablar para matar el tiempo y descubren todo aquello que tienen en común. En ambos casos, una pareja con la que llevan años y cuya relación muestra claros síntomas de erosión. Así que, encontrarse con alguien con quien estás cómodo y que te invita a hablar y a escuchar es quizá lo mejor que te puede suceder cuando no te queda otro remedio que esperar durante largas horas (días) hasta que otros tomen la decisión. 'Habitación frente al mar' es uno de los cuatro relatos que forman parte de 'Idilio', volumen en el que André Aciman describe otras tantas historias de amores imposibles y relaciones que se afianzan. (Victor Vela) (Translation)
Comme l’écrit Lilia Hassaine, en ouverture de JE, son quatrième roman, où elle s’attache à remettre en lumière un personnage mystérieux évoqué par Charlotte Brontë dans Jane Eyre (1847), le procédé fait du récit d’une « histoire d’hier » une « histoire d’aujourd’hui ». En effet, rappelle-t-elle, Jean Rhys (1890-1979) s’était emparée d’Antoinette, la première femme, enfermée et tenue pour folle, de Rochester. Dans La Prisonnière des Sargasses (Denoël, 1971), l’écrivaine anglaise l’avait, comme Charlotte Brontë elle-même, « regardée depuis son époque » et s’était « racontée à travers [elle] ». (Florence Bouchy) (Translation)
On September 26, Ofosua will join the Literary Sisters from Accra to Bradford panel discussion as part of the Brontë Women’s Writing Festival. Writers Tabitha Bast, Barsa Rea and Priscilla Adepa will also take part in the discussion. The panel is scheduled at the Old School Room on Church Street in Haworth.
JoCa — a Mexican-Spanish artist born in 1984, whose practice explores identity, technology, and contemporary digital environments — has created Echoes of Haworth, a collection of 22 works spanning oil paintings and resin cameo sculptures, built around the figures of Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë.Curated by Rafael Pérez y Pérez, with management by Paulina Villarreal, the series is the most extensive project JoCa has undertaken to date: ten months of production, 25 original pieces of which only 22 are on display, and a monumental sculpture that will remain unseen until 2027.It all began with an intimate gesture — rereading Wuthering Heights at 40, having first read it as a teenager — which led to research into Charlotte and Anne, and eventually became an exploration of gender, anonymity, and identity: themes already present in his earlier work, alongside classical portraiture pushed into abstract, hyperreal territory tied to mental health.
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En Echoes of Haworth, JoCa establece un diálogo entre la tradición clásica del retrato y una visión contemporánea de la pintura. Sus figuras parten de lo reconocible para ser sometidas a un proceso de transformación: pinceladas vigorosas, capas superpuestas, desplazamientos y alteraciones de la imagen fracturan los rostros y generan una sensación simultánea de inquietud, movimiento y vulnerabilidad.La serie encuentra su punto de partida en Charlotte, Emily y Anne Brontë, tres figuras fundamentales de la literatura del siglo XIX, y en el universo que construyeron desde Haworth, en West Yorkshire. En medio de los solitarios páramos ingleses y de las restricciones sociales de la época victoriana surgieron obras que trascenderían su tiempo, entre ellas Jane Eyre, Cumbres borrascosas y Agnes Grey.Más allá de una representación literal de las escritoras o de sus personajes, JoCa recupera su historia para reflexionar sobre la construcción de la identidad y las estructuras que históricamente han determinado quién puede ser visto y quién puede ser escuchado.Charlotte, Emily y Anne Brontë publicaron inicialmente bajo los seudónimos masculinos Currer, Ellis y Acton Bell, respectivamente. Este gesto, nacido de las convenciones de su época, se convierte dentro de la exposición en un punto de partida para abordar la tensión entre identidad y representación, entre aquello que una persona es y aquello que el entorno le permite mostrar.En las obras, esta tensión se manifiesta mediante la fragmentación de los rostros. La imagen permanece reconocible, pero sus rasgos aparecen desplazados y parcialmente clausurados. JoCa no busca únicamente reproducir una apariencia física, sino capturar la sensación de una presencia: aquello que permanece detrás del rostro aun cuando la imagen comienza a desvanecerse.Los marcos dorados forman parte fundamental de esta construcción simbólica. Más que delimitar las pinturas, actúan como una especie de jaula: una representación de las rígidas estructuras sociales de la Inglaterra del siglo XIX. Frente a ellas, las distorsiones y alteraciones de las figuras sugieren un espíritu que se resiste a permanecer contenido dentro del lienzo, del género o de su propia época.La referencia a las Brontë se extiende también a la atmósfera emocional de la serie. Los ecos de Cumbres borrascosas, Jane Eyre y Agnes Grey aparecen en una pintura atravesada por conceptos como aislamiento, pérdida, opresión, deseo, crecimiento y resistencia. JoCa traslada esa intensidad literaria al lenguaje pictórico y convierte el retrato en un territorio donde conviven belleza y turbulencia.La exposición invita así a reconsiderar los límites de la representación naturalista. Cada obra oscila entre presencia y desaparición, entre reconocimiento y distorsión, proponiendo una reflexión sobre la fragilidad de la memoria y sobre nuestra manera de percibir a los demás.En Echoes of Haworth, el retrato deja de funcionar únicamente como registro de una apariencia para convertirse en una exploración de la identidad. La figura es reconocible y, simultáneamente, parece escapar de sí misma.De esta manera, JoCa construye un homenaje contemporáneo al espíritu indomable de las hermanas Brontë y a la capacidad de una voz para trascender las estructuras que buscan contenerla. (Rafael Pérez y Pérez)
Via El Economista.
These questions came to mind when I received an email from a young man who argued that Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë, was an immoral book which Catholics should not read. His argument was rooted in the immoral actions of Edward Rochester, a brooding and Byronic presence in the novel with whom Jane Eyre becomes involved romantically. I’ll let my correspondent state his case:We see Edward Rochester breaking his wedding vows, poisoning the marital union by his rejection of giving up his life for his wife. He would have been content to continue his infatuation with Jane Eyre had she not discovered he was married; even after she knows this, Edward pleads with her to stay and be with him even though he cannot legally marry her…Edward clearly disregards his marital vow and is indifferent to the moral demand of the value-response his wife merits; he completely disregards the entire sphere of values to pursue his desire for union with Jane. In doing this, he poisons his affection towards Jane.This is all very true, but the presence of a wicked and prideful character does not make the novel wicked and prideful. On the contrary, the novel exposes Rochester’s prideful wickedness, his neglect of his insane wife, and his deceitfulness. It also shows how his moral relativism has harmful and destructive consequences.Charlotte Brontë’s classic novel is a great example of what might be called the art of darkness, which paradoxically sheds light on the presence of goodness, truth, and beauty. What, then, is the art of darkness and how does it show us goodness and truth? (...)Having shown the difference between the art of darkness and the dark arts, there is no denying that Jane Eyre is very much the former. It is a Christian novel written by a devoutly Christian novelist. (Joseph Pearce)
Literary fans should visit North Lees Hall in Hathersage, believed to be the inspiration for Thornfield Hall, the home of Mr Rochester, in Charlotte Brontë’s novel Jane Eyre. The 16th century hall will be open to the public on September 20, from 11am until 3pm. (Gary Bolton)
Next Friday, September 18 at 7pm, Belfast will host its first mass participatory dance inspired by Kate Bush's iconic Wuthering Heights, as Kitsch Sisters bring Cathy's Call to Culture Night in Belfast. (Lauren Harte)
BookClub's AI thinks that Jane Eyre will turn you into a lifelong reader. The same AI thinks that Jasper Fforde's The Eyre Affair is good for a rainy day. Whatever.
by Charlotte BrontëTranslated by Núria Molines GalarzaEdiciones Invisibles. Colección VictoriaISBN: 9791399083491May 2026Un clásico imprescindible, un canto a la libertad de la mujer en la sociedad victoriana, una historia de pasiónJane Eyre es una niña pobre, huérfana y poco agraciada que vive con su tía, la miserable señora Reed, quien se muestra siempre cruel e insensible con su sobrina. A raíz de un ataque de rebeldía de la pequeña Jane, la envía a la escuela Lowood, un internado donde la niña crece a base de humillaciones y malos tratos, hasta que, tras superar los años de escuela, decide marcharse para trabajar como institutriz. El destino la lleva a Thornfield Hall, una enorme y misteriosa mansión en la que es responsable de la educación de la hija natural del propietario, el señor Rochester. Todo comienza a cambiar cuando el dueño de la mansión, de carácter seco, áspero y atormentado por el pasado, descubre inesperadamente el placer de conversar cada noche con Jane, hechizado por el ingenio de ella y por su espíritu decidido.
Antes de traducir un clásico hay que decidir también qué hacer con quienes lo habitaron previamente. La mayoría de profesionales prefieren no mirar demasiado atrás, trabajar a solas con el original y dejar las versiones anteriores para el final. Con Jane Eyre, Molines se fue “directa al texto para intentar no contaminarme. Si no, puedes tener la tentación de dejarte condicionar por esas decisiones. Cuando ya tenía la traducción terminada, eché un vistazo para ver cómo había resuelto algunas cosas que me generaban curiosidad”. Y como conocía la obra con anterioridad, sabía que había cuestiones en las que quería marcar la diferencia: “en inglés la narradora dice reader, y lo habitual ha sido traducirlo en masculino. Yo lo he desdoblado y hablo de lector y lectora. También por el contexto de la época, cuando las grandes lectoras de novela en ese momento eran mujeres”.Al releer Cumbres Borrascosas en inglés, Rovira se sorprendió por la dureza y sobriedad de la novela, que no recordaba de sus lecturas anteriores: “Ese lenguaje refleja mucho aquel paisaje seco, oscuro, ventoso, húmedo en el que tiene lugar la novela. Por eso quise evitar embellecerlo o dulcificarlo, también en los diálogos en los que los personajes llegan a ser muy crueles. Mi principal aportación ha sido respetar esa aridez y esa aspereza del original”. (...)Trabajar con una obra inédita ofrece al traductor algo parecido a atracar en un territorio virgen. Un clásico, en cambio, llega lleno de huellas. Para Molines, el primer caso implica, por una parte, “abrir tu propio camino, pero también vas a ciegas en muchas cosas”. Mientras que, cuando te zambulles en un clásico, “suele haber muchos estudios que analizan intertextualidades, metáforas y otros aspectos del texto. Todo eso ayuda a afinar cuestiones que pueden pasar más desapercibidas. Por ejemplo, en Jane Eyre hay muchísima terminología relacionada con el orientalismo, muchos referentes de la India y esto se ha estudiado desde los estudios poscoloniales. Tiene un peso importante en la novela. Si acudes a traducciones antiguas, esa vertiente suele neutralizarse y desaparecer, porque quizá el traductor pensaba que en España no se iba a entender”. (Lucía Márquez) (Translation)
The Brontë sisters’ father was the parish priest of Howarth [sic]. The museum is a renovated parsonage where the sisters lived. Traces of the sisters remain everywhere, including the fireplace used by Emily Brontë and the dress of her elder sister Charlotte, who wrote *Jane Eyre*.After leaving the parsonage, I began a trek across the moor—the wild, open landscape that inspired *Wuthering Heights*. Top Withens, the ruined farmhouse said to have influenced the novel, sits atop a hill approximately 430 meters above sea level.Walking for about an hour and a half across the moor, where only the wind’s whisper could be heard, I reached the desolate scene: two trees standing beside a crumbling stone house at the hill’s summit. Sitting on the roof of the abandoned house and looking down, I saw vast plains dotted with purple heather flowers swaying in the wind—a serene yet beautiful sight. I realized that the author, having grown up in such scenery, could depict a love that is both tranquil and ferocious. Facing the strong wind, I quietly recited Catherine’s famous line expressing her passion for Heathcliff: “I am Heathcliff!” (Kwak Ah-ram)
Conversely, the trailer for Wuthering Heights: House of the Damned does a pretty solid job of selling it as being just as faithful of an adaptation as many of the others have been over the past century. There’s Catherine’s ghost, a look at Cathy (meaning that the story will at least dabble in the decades-spanning material), and even looks to be taking significant inspiration from the latter pieces of the book that rarely see any play in cinematic versions. Notably, the film has even cast Sky Cheema, a non-white actor, in the role of Heathcliff, which was famously played by the very white Jacob Elordi most recently, inciting a great deal of controversy.All in all, this is a fun riff on the idea and is just as valid as any number of the countless other adaptations over the years, in theory. My hope is that Hirani and co. keep their heads up and resist the urge to just turn it into a hack-and-slash feature with Wuthering Heights cosplay, instead embracing the story’s actual text in meaningful ways. To their credit, the trailer looks like much more of the latter rather than the former, so I’m more than down to check it out. (William Jones)
A book Min Jin Lee would give to her younger self:Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. Originally published in 1847, this novel has become one of the most-read books of all time. It’s the story of every chapter of Jane Eyre’s life, from her harsh upbringing as an orphan to her position as governess for a young French girl at Thornfield estate, where she meets and falls in love with the charming Mr. Rochester. It’s a powerful tale of love, classism, religion and feminism.What Min Jin Lee says about this book: “[I] recall reading this in [my] 20s, but [I] should have read it in [my] teens and then revisited it in [my] 30s.” (Carissa Mosness)
What are some of your favorite novels?This is such a tough question, because I feel like it is constantly changing depending on the season, my mood, where I am… But God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë will always be on my list, for sentimental reasons: I read both in high school, and they were two of the first novels that unlocked my love of devouring and discussing books with others. (Heather Caliendo)
She awarded the literary classic 5 stars, and high praise — the only thing she disliked about the book was “that the story had to end! I wish it could have gone on forever,” [she] said.She felt picking up the Brontë novel also boosted her vocabulary.“One thing I like about this book is that it’s a older book and has older words to learn, so you can learn what they mean,” [she] said.
9. Performative male bookHe has one whole book – a copy of Wuthering Heights he bought for his GCSEs (because he thought it was the same as Jane Eyre). The book is displayed prominently opposite the door, to demonstrate what an erudite feminist he is. (Claudia Cox)
S4 E7: With... Ruth RossingtonMia and Sam chat to their colleague Ruth on this episode! Ruth is part of the Visitor Experience team at the Museum and has previously worked as a journalist and London tour guide!We look at the progression of photography in the nineteenth century and discuss the mysterious backstory of one particular item in the collection...
by Claudine GaleaL'Arche Éditeur (Des Écrits pour la Parole)ISBN: 9782381980997February 2026Des fleurs plus brillantes plus féroces que la rose poussent sur la plusnoire des landes. Je suis la plus noire des landes tu es la plus noire demes fleurs. Viens Cathy approche n’aie pas peur.Romance hantée par ses propres personnages, Hurlevent carcasse est un récit choral, qui amplifie le livre d’Emily Brontë pour faire retentir sa puissante modernité. Ouvrage majeur de la littérature du XIXe siècle, écrit sous pseudonyme masculin, Les Hauts de Hurvelent s’est imposé comme texte canonique sur la passion amoureuse, la vengeance et la folie, un roman furieux et cruel.Claudine Galea plonge dans cette matière, entrelace des voix dans un corps-à-corps effréné et aiguise à l’os le récit d’amour fusionnel et de haine fatale. Explorant toutes les formes de domination à l’oeuvre, elle révèle le fondement colonial de cette histoire de passion, de mépris de classe et de haine de soi, au sein d’une société victorienne en pleine expansion capitaliste.
One of the biggest challenges in adapting Jane Eyre is that the novel is deeply personal.Written in the first person, readers experience the world through Jane's thoughts, feelings and reflections.On stage, those internal monologues cannot simply be narrated.Instead, they must become performance.As John Caird explained during the media day, the production solves this by allowing the ensemble to share Jane's narrative voice, preserving the intimacy of Charlotte Brontë's writing while embracing the possibilities of live theatre.Music becomes another extension of that voice.Rather than interrupting the story, the songs continue it. (...)The score also reflects another defining feature of the production.Rather than functioning as individual showpieces, the musical numbers become part of the ensemble's collective storytelling.Co-director Megan McGinnis explained that casting focused not only on vocal ability but also on finding exceptional storytellers capable of serving the narrative together.That collaborative approach was evident throughout the rehearsal room, where every performer contributed to Jane's journey rather than simply stepping forward for individual moments. (...)Following our rehearsal room visit, one thing became abundantly clear: the music isn't simply accompanying Jane Eyre.It is helping tell Jane's story.Having now experienced the completed production, it is fascinating to reflect on how those early rehearsal excerpts formed part of a much larger emotional journey, demonstrating once again why Jane Eyre continues to inspire artists almost 180 years after Charlotte Brontë first introduced readers to one of literature's most remarkable heroines.
It feels like one of the closest adaptations to the original novel, encompassing the major themes of love, loss, abandonment, independence and belonging, while also displaying its greatest scenes. Could some have been developed further? Yes, but on the whole, this adaptation by John Caird and Paul Gordon was on point - the mix between music, narrative, stage presence and performance was exceptional. (...)The music is another huge strength in this adaptation. The songs fit naturally into the storytelling and are beautifully performed, allowing some of Jane's thoughts and emotions to be expressed in a way that are in keeping with the original character. (...)There is also some intimacy with being at the Southwark Playhouse Elephant because it's small and therefore you feel so much closer to the actors on stage, it makes the energy of the performers feel more intense.For those who already love Jane Eyre, there is plenty here that will feel familiar. For those coming to the story for the first time, this musical provides an accessible introduction into Jane's world. It's a fantastic adaptation that should definitely not be missed. (Junita Aswal)
Upon entering the theatre, the most striking feature is the enormous, thorn-like vine curling around the edge of the stage (Morgan Large). It evokes Rochester’s confinement and the cage-like world surrounding him. Above the stage, a line is carved into the stone: “I am no bird, and no net ensnares me, I am a free human being with an independent will.” This, too, is taken from Jane’s words shortly before she leaves Rochester. Like the earlier quotation, it immediately conveys Jane’s resilience and strength of character. At the same time, it reminds us that everything taking place on stage is a reflection of the book rather than a reality unto itself. Indeed, in this production, every actor seems to function almost like a piece of the text that makes up the novel. (...)The songs are one of the production’s greatest strengths. I particularly enjoyed the conversational quality of the writing and the delicacy with which it handles emotion. Among the many lyrical and beautiful melodies, Painting Her Portrait and My Hope of Heaven stood out to me. The former captures Jane’s insecurity, her harshness towards herself, and her pain with remarkable clarity. The latter expresses Rochester’s passionate, turbulent, forceful, and at times tender love in remarkably simple and direct language. (...)Overall, it is a genuine pleasure to see the story of Jane Eyre brought to the London musical stage. Although it is a story born nearly two centuries ago, its emotions and struggles still feel remarkably close to our own, reflected in Rochester, whose heart is caught in the vines, and Jane, who reaches towards freedom. While the production has not yet quite reached its full potential, the delicate emotional world of the original novel is already there within it. With only a few light touches, these words from the page could become much more vivid and alive on stage. (Ziwen)
The show's Jane (Charlie Burn) and Mr Rochester (Ashley Gilmour) give it their all and the pair sparkle as they duet, “Secret Soul” being their standout song. Neither can be described as plain despite all around them claim- the audience’s chuckles confirming this. Gilmour’s Rochester is rakish and playful, making it easy for Burn’s elegantly innocent Jane to fall. Although her character comes to resemble a watered-down Belle of Beauty and the Beast– no fault of Burn’s as all she is given to do is sing pining ballads. When flashes of Jane’s anger and insecurity break through in “Painting Her Portrait” she is electric in her range and colour. It’s a Jane I wish we got to see more of. (...)A stylish and charming show full of music, Jane Eyre would be better served by trimming its blur of Act 1 songs to allow more direct conversation between its characters. Jane sings of hunger for knowledge and independence in “Sweet Liberty” only for this interest to rarely emerge again And Burn and Gilmour barely let the sexual tension simmer before off singing their attractions.
Charlie Burn leads the company as Jane, bringing warmth and emotional depth to one of literature’s most beloved heroines. Ashley Gilmour plays Rochester, and the pair share an engaging chemistry, particularly during their sweeping and heartfelt musical moments. Emily-Rose Samuel also impresses as the young Jane, capturing the character’s determination and spirit.Gemma Page showcases the prowess of a seasoned actress switching between the contrasting roles of Mrs Reed and Mrs Fairfax. She brings a grounded and assured presence to both. Morgan Large’s striking monochrome costumes, complete with corsets, ruffles and delicate detailing, create a beautiful visual world, while projections of misty moors, graves and barren trees provide the perfect gothic backdrop.With its excellent cast, outstanding vocals, atmospheric design and timeless romance, Jane Eyre the Musical offers London audiences a passionate and engaging journey into Charlotte Brontë’s unforgettable world. (Zia Trench)
London theatre does not have to mean booking the biggest production in the West End. Southwark Playhouse Elephant offers a more intimate alternative, and Jane Eyre is an especially appropriate choice for a girls' weekend. The five-time Tony-nominated musical adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's classic makes its UK premiere here, recasting Jane's story of independence, ambition, mystery and passionate love for a contemporary stage. (Olivia Liveng)
Jane Eyre by Charlotte BrontëJane Eyre might have been published 180 years ago, but it’s still relevant today, telling the story of a woman reinventing her life by falling in love with a man who thinks he can reinvent his life by simply ignoring his past—or, more accurately, locking it away. No spoilers (again, the book is 180 years old, what are you waiting for!), but you might want to check the attic before you crack this open late at night. (Carly Hillman)
Meeting Stuart, the Yorkshireman, who becomes the love of the narrator’s life, she writes:Is it then that I sense in him Mr. Rochester, the love object of Jane Eyre, and the ultimate hero of the English novel?She expands the reference to include Stuart’s Polish ex-wife Olga:When I first met Stuart, Olga had been but a shadowy figure, the ex-wife to thicken the plot of my novel. In Jane Eyre, the governess is vaguely aware of the shadowy presence of Mr. Rochester’s first wife, Bertha Mason, who lives hidden in the attic. (Roopa Ramamoorthi)
Sarah Gill: What are your top three favourite books of all time, and why?Kevin McManus: It’s difficult to limit it to three. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë has stayed with me for its emotional intensity and unforgettable sense of place. Post Office by Charles Bukowski showed me that literature could be funny, raw and deeply human without being polished or sentimental. Plainsong by Kent Haruf is a novel I return to again and again for the quiet compassion with which it portrays ordinary people finding dignity, community and hope.
Siddhesh Shirsat: Which book, film, song or piece of art has stayed with you over the years?
Shreya Sachdev: Jane Eyre, when I need inspiration to remain enterprising; any Agatha Christie novel, when I want to be transported back to childhood afternoons reading with my mother.
[Interviewer] What are you reading right now?Wuthering Heights.
True self-worth and lasting peace come from honoring your moral integrity and self-respect, even when tempted to compromise them for love or security.
1. It’s All Coming Back to Me Now (1996)Writer Jim Steinman claimed It’s All Coming Back to Me Now was inspired by the scene in Wuthering Heights when Heathcliff exhumes Cathy’s corpse and dances with it on a beach. No such scene exists, but that’s Steinman for you. His songs are so wilfully overblown that they require a singer with total emotional commitment to pull them off without sounding silly – and Dion perfectly fit the bill after a version by the girl band Pandora’s Box flopped. She sings it as if it’s a matter of life and death, her voice supremely powerful and emotive even amid Steinman’s characteristic Wagnerian bombast. The end result is a mad, spectacular triumph. (Alexis Petridis)
The Lancaster Guardian has an article on the upcoming performances of the Conn Artists Theatre Company's new touring Jane Eyre adaptation at Lancaster Grand Theatre on Tuesday, September 22. Both The Yorkshire Post and the BBC discuss the Yorkshire tourist tax project and the possible consequences of its implementation.
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